“Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.”
Rachel Carson, 1907-1964
Very few do.
Passengers disembark Zuiderdam
in Ketchikan, Alaska.
Photo © Aaron Saunders
For me, the ship is an enormous draw; from the smallest expedition ships to liners like Queen Mary 2 or Oasis of the Seas, there really is something for everyone - a ship to suit every taste. But those elegant, beautiful and simply astonishing ships have taken me to a variety of countries and ports that I could never have conceived of otherwise.
Since I began cruising twelve years ago, I have seen places and done things I would have never ordinarily expected. I've swam with dolphins in Cabo San Lucas - twice. I wasn't initially very excited to do this; by my thinking, there was something decidedly wrong with climbing into an enormous tank of water with a creature larger than yourself. But it was a wonderful experience - just don't eat the smoked salmon like I did for breakfast. You'll never get away...
Horseback riding in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Photo © Aaron Saunders
I've rode horses in Reykjavik, Iceland and was awed by the power and majesty of that small country in the middle of the Atlantic. I've seen glaciers calve and ice floes drift by. I've crossed the Arctic Circle - where the sun went down for all of fifteen minutes before popping back up again.
Crossing the Arctic Circle aboard Crown Princess
at midnight. This is as dark as it got - for mere minutes.
Photo © Aaron Saunders
I've had Key Lime pie in Key West, Florida. I've taken a gondola ride in Venice at sunset. I've been tossed around by the worst storm the Aegean Sea had experienced since 1982, and got hopelessly lost in Mykonos, Greece. I drank apple tea in Kusadasi, Turkey and have witnessed the enormity of Norways' fjords.
Exploring the winding streets of Alesund, Norway.
Photo © Aaron Saunders
There's a reason I mention this , and it is because I assume you yourself are now thinking about the experiences you've had on your cruises. Yours will be completely different from the next persons', but no less rewarding.
Sometimes, experiences won't occur in port, but onboard ship. We managed to view an amazing spectacle aboard Mariner of the Seas in January, as literally hundreds (and I do mean hundreds) of dolphins sailing together were spotted off the port side of the ship. They swam towards us rapidly, leaping out of the water better than any advertisement, movie, or brochure could ever hope to capture. And I stood there, transfixed by the whole thing - knowing it would be one of those moments you remember forever.
Also notable was a close passage between Crown Princess and Hurtigruten's Richard With off the coast of Norway. We weren't going to hit, but the Norwegians sure passed close to us!
The MV Richard With crosses our stern - tightly.
Photo © Aaron Saunders
It is the uniqueness of cruises not just as a vacation, but as a type of enjoyment and relaxation that make them so unique. Maybe you'll meet passengers onboard who you become friends with, and decide to tour or do excursions you wouldn't normally have attempted. Maybe - like most of us - you'll take a cruise for a few specific ports, only to discover it was the other, less-attractive ports of call that you fell in love with.
Then there's the ship. The theatre productions. The service. The decor. The relaxation.
Dusk aboard Golden Princess, sailing from
Puerto Vallarta to Cabo San Lucas.
Photo © Aaron Saunders
To me, there is something deeply mysterious - and alluring - about the sea. The same can be said for the ships themselves; in as much as they are in almost constant motion, so too are your surroundings: public rooms change in theme and tone as the first rays of sun rise in the morning and set at night.
A ship at night - long after the passengers have gone to bed - is an intriguing thing. The gentle hum of the engines or the slight rattling of a ceiling panel or table lamp lets you know that you are always in motion; the ship taking you ever further along on your journey.
A Martini served in the Commodore Lounge
aboard Queen Mary 2.
Photo © Aaron Saunders
What will you experience tomorrow?
The sunsets.
The ocean.
This year, 18.4 million people will embark on a cruise. It's expected that number will grow by roughly 1.6 million passengers every year. Also revealing is the fact that well over 45% of the potential travel market - which is a vast number of people - have never set foot aboard a ship. Clearly, new megaships like Oasis of the Seas and Norwegian Epic hope to take advantage of that untapped potential and entice new, prospective cruisers with their mind-boggling array of features.
Sunrise and sea spray aboard Mariner of the Seas
in the Pacific Ocean.
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
Past cruisers might be looking to upgrade to lines like Silversea and Regent in order to enhance their experience aboard more quiet, subdued vessels with longer itineraries. Others may be looking to the value of lines like Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line.
My fiancee aboard Queen Mary 2, waving
to the pilot boat just off Staten Island, NY.
Photo © Aaron Saunders
When I first met my fiancee, she'd never cruised. In fact, she took it one step farther and said she'd never cruise. It was, as she put it, 'for old people.'
She just completed her eleventh voyage and I could not be more thrilled.
My parents enjoy the evening aboard Celebrity Summit.
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
Perhaps the greatest joy, for me personally, has been travelling with my parents. They'd cruised before - in fact, my first cruise as a kid was to Alaska with them. They still give me a hard time about how they paid for the stateroom, but my sister and I somehow finagled the beds from them. So they slept on the pull-out couch in our small, oceanview stateroom aboard the Norwegian Wind.
And we loved it.
They've cruised since; I've cruised since. But it wasn't until last summer that we all set out on a voyage together, to Northern Europe and Iceland aboard Crown Princess. We had such a good time, we sailed together this past July, to New England aboard Celebrity Summit. Plans are even in the works for a voyage next year, this time to the Baltic.
A toast aboard Crown Princess to a great cruise.
Photo © Aaron Saunders
If you haven't sailed with your extended family, you should. A ship lends itself very well to this arrangement - you can do as much or as little together as you want. We like to get connecting staterooms so we can sit on our balconies and yak while enjoying the view. More and more families seem to be cruising these days, and I find myself wondering why I waited so long to do so with mine.
The Promenade Deck aboard Zuiderdam as she
cruises Alaska's Inside Passage.
Photo © Aaron Saunders
One thing is certain: with the enormous amount of new cruise ships being built each year since the newbuild boom kicked off in the early 1990's, I have no doubt that people will look back on the last twenty years with the same fondness now reserved for the Golden Age of Transatlantic travel.
Sunset dining aboard Celebrity Summit.
Photo © Aaron Saunders
It's a great time to be a cruiser.
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